Musical instrument with cam controlling reed vibration

ABSTRACT

A musical instrument including a plurality of tuned vibratory reeds, each having an electromagnetic pickup associated therewith and an amplifier for amplifying the output from the reeds; and a plucking assembly for selectively vibrating each of the reeds. The plucking assembly includes a pedal pivotally mounted in the instrument with a contact or plucking head pivotally mounted thereon to engage the reed as the pedal is depressed. A cam is provided for pivoting the plucking head after engagement with the reed to pluck or deflect same and for preventing contact between the head and the reed until the pedal has been released and then depressed again. The electromagnetic pickup includes a permanent magnet selectively positionable with respect to each reed to finely tune same.

United States Patent Creager 1451 Sept. 26, 1972 [22] Filed:

[54] MUSICAL INSTRUMENT WITH CAM CONTROLLING REED VIBRATION [72] lnventor: Wade E. Creager, 2120 Arlington Ave., NE, Atlanta, Ga 30324 Jan. 17, 1972 [21] Appl. No.: 218,264

Related US. Application Data [63] Continuation of Ser. No. 37,118, May 14,

s2 u.s.c1. ..84/402, 84/404, 84/104, 84/115 5 11 1111. c1. ..Gl0c 3/14,G10h 3/08 [58] FieldofSearch ..84/1.01,1.04,1.06,1.11, 84/1.l4 -1.17, DIG. 7, DIG. 25, 236, 258, 402,404,408

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS Hammond et a1. ...84/D1G. 25 Alvarez ..84/1.04 Miessner ..84/1 .04 Enya ..84/DIG. 25 Lewis ..84/ 1.04

3,165,022 l/ 1965 Yokoyama ..84/ 1.04 X 3,183,759 5/1965 Bode ..84/402 3,334,172 8/1967 Markowitz et a1 ..84/1.06

Primary Examiner-Lewis H. Myers Assistant Examiner-Stanley .1. Witkowski AttorneyNewton, Hopkins & Ormsby [5 7] ABSTRACT A musical instrument including a plurality of tuned vibratory reeds, each having an electromagnetic pickup associated therewith and an amplifier for amplifying the output from the reeds; and a plucking assembly for selectively vibrating each of the reeds. The plucking assembly includes a pedal pivotally mounted in the instrument with a contact or plucking head pivotally mounted thereon to engage the reed as the pedal is depressed. A cam is provided for pivoting the plucking head after engagement with the reed to pluck or deflect same and for preventing contact between the head and the reed until the pedal has been released and then depressed again. The electromagnetic pickup includes a permanent magnet selectively positionable with respect to each reed to finely tune same.

4 Claims, 6 Drawing Figures PATENTED8EP26 I912 8.693.491

SHEET 1 BF 2 B z CPt'A MUSICAL INSTRUMENT WITH CAM CONTROLLING REED VIBRATION This is a continuation, of application Ser. No. 37,1 18, filed on May 14, 1970.

This invention relates to means for vibrating vibratory elements such as reeds or strings of pre-selected amplitude of vibration as in musical instruments and to a musical instrument incorporating such means.

In a wide variety of scientific instruments and testing devices as well as musical instruments, it is desirable to provide mechanical means for selectively initiating the vibration of a tuned element such as a string or reed, as for instance in the musical instrument of the present inventive concept. The present invention is particularly concerned with the plucking, picking or flicking of a reed or string as distinct from vibration induced by a striking, or impact, as induced by a piano hammer. In mechanical plucking devices, it is of primary importance to provide mechanical means by which there may be faithfully and repeatedly reproduced a predetermined plucking of the reed to initiate free vibration and thereafter a controllable period of free reed vibration.

The movement performed by the present vibration imparting unit is for plucking, picking, or flicking the end of a reed, and one which is readily applicable for imparting the requisite free vibration to tuned reeds in a rectilineal movement of the contact head of the plucking head toward the designated striking area, followed by an angular or arcuate deflecting movement away from such area. The movement during contact, deflection, and release of the reed is preferably during transition from the rectilinear striking movement to the arcuate deflection movement. It may be permissible, however, for the contact to occur during the deflection movement only. The return movement must, of course, be free of possible contact with the vibrating reed. In the present instance, after a selected period of rest in its fully deflected position while the reed is vibrating freely, the contact head returns to its starting position in a first path of travel substantially rectilinearly and at an angle to the initial rectilinear path of its movement in approaching the reed, but in the opposite direction, and thence in an arcuate path to return to its starting position.

It is also of primary importance, particularly in musical instruments, to provide a controllable and positive dampening and/or termination of the vibration. In many instances where the vibration of a reed is used as in the present instance for the propagation of sound waves, the initiation of reed vibration and the dampening or termination of such vibration, it is preferable to control both by a single manual or pedal device.

In the translation of vibrations to modulations of an electrical current flow for the actuation of electromechanical sound propagating devices,'as in the musical instrument of the present invention, a preselected vibrating portion of the reed, usually its free end, is arranged in magnetic relation to a magnetic field whereby the vibrations of the reed will induce corresponding variations in the characteristics of the magnetic field and hence, by well known circuitry, a corresponding modulation of current flow in an electrical circuit incorporating a sound propagating device.

It is among the objects of the present invention to provide a novel and improved means for initiating vibratory elements in association with a vibration initiating mechanism means as well as means for dampening and/or terminating the induced vibration.

As a practical application of a device carrying out the foregoing objectives, it is a further object of the invention to provide such means in association with a plurality of reeds whereby each reed may be individually vibrated and dampened by an association of individual vibrating and dampening devices.

More specifically, it is an object of the present invention to provide a musical instrument incorporating a plurality of tuned reeds in association with magnetic current modulating instruments whereby pedal means may efficiently, effectively and faithfully control the propagation of sound waves of selected musical notes corresponding to the operation of pedals.

These and numerous other objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from consideration of the following specification taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a top plan view of one embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a partial perspective view of the invention shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of that embodiment of the invention shown in FIGS. 1 and 2;

FIG. 4 is a partial cross-sectional view as seen in FIG. 3 with the contact head in contact with the reed;

FIG. 5 is a view as seen in FIG. 4 after the contact head has been moved to cause the reed to vibrate; and,

FIG. 6 is an enlarged partial perspective view of the magnetic pickup unit.

These figures and the following detailed description disclose specific embodiments of the invention, how ever, the inventive concept is not limited thereto since it may be embodied in other forms.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF ILLUSTRATIVE EMBODIMENTS Referring to the drawings, it will be seen that the numeral 10 designates a housing including an inverted hollow cover member 11 carried by a base 12. The base 12 includes a pair of upstanding mounting brackets 14 at opposite ends thereof which extend up from the base 12 and within the cavity defined in the cover member 11. Each bracket 14 includes a mounting flange 15 at the upper ends thereof which extend inwardly therefrom for mounting the various assemblies of the invention.

Carried between the rearmost ends of the flanges l5 and attached thereto is a mounting block 16 defining a first mounting surface 18 along the forward side thereof and a second mounting surface 19 along the rear side thereof.

A reed assembly R is mounted on the surface 18 of the mounting block 16 and includes a carriage plate 20 which is attached to the block 16 and a plurality of reeds 21 secured to the plate 20 at one end thereof and extended forwardly from plate 20 parallel to each other. The length and thickness as well as the material of the reeds 21 may vary for each reed 21 since each reed is independently tuned whereby the vibration period thereof is at a predetermined and distinct frequency corresponding to a note of half-note of an octave of the chromatic scale. For convenience in the present arrangement, the period of vibration and the amplitude of vibration for each reed may be varied by adjusting the weight of a tip 22 seen in FIG. 3 with the length and thickness the same. The tip 22 may be made of a magnetically responsive material such as iron, steel or other alloys thereof to assist in the magnetic pickup of the reed vibration in the application thereof. While one method of varying the frequency of the reed 21 has been illustrated, it is to be recognized that the frequency of vibration may be determined by other factors such as the total weight of the reed itself, the size thereof, or the tempering of the reed material. By using variable weight tips 22, however, the length and size of the independently tuned reeds maybe the same with only the weight of the tips 22 varied.

Pivotally carried on base 12 by the hinge brackets 24 and pivot rod 25 extending therebetween are a plurality of plucking assemblies P. Since there is an individual plucking assembly P associated with each reed 21 for the plucking thereof, only one assembly will be shown and described in detail, it being understood that each of the assemblies has corresponding parts. Plucking assembly P includes a pedal 26 pivotally mounted on rod 25 with a driving portion 28 extending rearwardly from housing and a driven portion 29 extending forwardly into the cavity defined in cover member 11. Each plucking assembly P is activated by depressing portion 28' usually with the operators foot. A pivot arm 30 is attached to the forward or right end of pedal 26 as seen in FIG. 3 and extends upwardly therefrom to a position below the level of reed 21.

Pivotally mounted at the upper end of arm 30 is a plucking member 31 having a rearwardly extending plucking plate 32 for engagement with the forwardly extending free end of the reed 21 and with a forwardly extending deflection cam follower 34 for selectively pivoting the plucking member 31 about its pivotal connection 35 with arm 30. In order to properly position cam follower 34 and thus plucking member 31, a cam 36 having a U-shaped cross-section with an opening therein extending rearwardly in housing 10 is provided. Cam 36 includes an upper leg 38 which is substantially horizontally oriented and a lower leg 39 which is spaced below leg 38 parallel thereto. Leg 38 has a depending subweb 40 and leg 39 has an upstanding subweb 41. The subwebs 40 and 41 are provided with appropriate slots therein to receive a locking member 42 therethrough so that the vertical spacing between legs 38 and 39 can be selectively varied to selectively adjust the position of the plucking member 31.

Carried between brackets 14 and positioned above the extending free ends of reeds 21 is a magnetically pickup assembly M. The assembly M includes a plurality of individual magnetic pickups 50, one pickup 50 being associated with and positioned above in vertical alignment with each reed 21. The pickups 50 are connected through a volume control 51 to a phono jack connection 52 which can be releaseably connected to a conventional amplifier 54 and a speaker 55 as seen in FIG. 3.

A spring 60 connects each pedal 26 with mounting block 16 and is connected to the pedal 26 rearwardly of the pivot pin 25 so that spring 60 constantly urges the driven end of pedal 26 toward base 12 to engage an appropriately mounted cushion pad 61. This insures return of the pedal 26 each time it is activated by depressing the driving end 28 thereof during use.

A damping assembly 62 is mounted on the surface 19 of block 18 and is attached thereto. The assembly 62 includes a mounting plate 64 having a plurality of dampers 63 carried thereby. A damper 63 is associated with each reed 21 and includes a damping arm 65 attached to plate 64 and extending forwardly therefrom. The extending end of each arm 65 is provided with a damping pad 66 at the forward end thereof. The arm 65 and pad 66 are arranged so that the pad 66 engages the upper surface of the reed 21 associated therewith adjacent its mounting plate 20 when the pedal 26 is in its de-activated position. For releasing each reed 21 for free vibration thereof, a driving pin 68 carried by the driven end 29 of pedal 26 slidably extends through an appropriate passage (not shown) in block 16 to engage the underside of arm 65 and lift the pad 66 from engagement with reed 21 as the pedal 26 is depressed to an activated position.

As the pedal 26 is depressed, the arm 30 forces member 31 upwardly and the deflection plate 32 with pad 33 thereon into contact with the free extending end of reed 21. At the same time, cam follower 34 is moved into contact with the upper leg 38 of cam 36. Simultaneously, the pin 68 has engaged arm 65 and lifted the damping pad 66 from engagement with reed 21. This position is shown in FIG. 4.

As the pedal 26 is continued to be depressed, the leg 38 forces the cam follower 34 downwardly to deflect the pad 33 engaging the end of reed 21 upwardly while at the same time moving the pad 33 forwardly to free the same from engagement with extending end of reed 21. This allows the reed 21 to vibrate freely. This position is shown in FIG. 5. As the reed 21 vibrates, the magnetic pickup 50 detects the vibrations thereof and generates an output signal through the amplifier and speaker of the system. As the pedal 26 is released and the spring 60 returns same to its initial position, the arm 30 moves downwardly bringing the plucking member 31 therewith while it is in its forwardmost pivoted position so that the pad 33 will not engage the end of the freely vibrating reed 21. As the pedal 26 reaches its initial position, the cam follower 34 engages the bottom leg 39 of cam 36 to pivot the plucking member 31 back to its initial position. However, since the pad 33 is now below the reed 21, the pad 33 does not contact the reed 21 as it is pivoted back to its initial position. Also, as the pedal 26 returns to its initial or rest position, the pin 68 is lowered and the spring action of arm 65 forces pad 66 into engagement with reed 21 to arrest the vibration thereof.

With the device used in conjunction with the pedal bass instrument of the present invention, it will be seen that there are provided thirteen vibration inducing, or plucking, units P and therewith thirteen pedals 26. In normal bass accompaniment devices, some of the pedals 26 extend outwardly representing full notes of a musical scale, while the shorter pedals 26, usually colored black, represent the intermediate sharp and flat notes of a musical scale. In such arrangement, it will be understood that the period of vibration of each of the reeds 21 is tuned to an individual note of half note of an octave of the musical scale so that vibration of each individual reed will respond with a vibration frequency commensurate with the vibration corresponding with the note, or half note, which its pedal is designated. It is to be further understood that the number of plucking units P and reeds 21 may be varied as desired.

While the magnetically responsive coil 50 is generally, conventional form, the present invention contemplates novel variation in the conventional coil for cooperative relation with the specific vibration units here presented. Thus, while the coil 50 includes the conventional elongated electrical coil windings 100 as seen in H0. 6, which present an elongated open central space to receive magnetic flux carrying means, such means are in the present instance provided in the form of vertically adjustable permanent magnets 101 which may be individually movable vertically through the central opening of the windings to vary the spacing of their lower ends with respect to the magnetically responsive weighted tip 22 of the outer free ends of the reeds 21. For frictionally retaining the individual permanent magnets 101 in desired vertically adjusted position there is a restraining wire 102 secured at one end by a screw 104 which is mounted through the inverted U-shaped non-magnetic support 105. The wire 102 is arranged in criss-cross relation between each of the magnets 101. The magnets 101 provide a magnetic field in which the reed 21 vibrates. The closer the lower end of the magnet 101 is to the reed 21, the more slowly will the reed 21 vibrate, i.e., the frequency of vibration will be lower. This allows a very simple method of fine tuning the reeds.

It is contemplated that the reeds will be designed to vibrate at the proper frequencies to give the device standard piano pitch. If the device is to be used with a piano that is somewhat below standard pitch, the magnets 101 can be moved down to adjust the frequency to that of the piano.

Thus, in the present invention there is provided a novel vibration inducing means by which the actuation member for the reed is returned to neutral position without a return contact with the reed as it resumes its position for subsequent reactuation of the reed. It will further be noted that the dampening device is constructed and arranged to immediately effect a dampening and/or termination of the reed vibration when a pedal is released and to terminate such vibration prior to the full resumption of the actuation member to its position of rest. It is to be noted that by means of the cam leg 39, the return to initial position of the actuating or plucking member 31 is insured as an incident to the return of the pedal 26 to horizontal position.

OPERATION In operation, the operator depresses the driving end 28 of the desired pedal 26. This causes the pedal 26 to pivot counterclockwise about rod and raise the driven end 29 within housing 10. The plucking member 31 is raised upwardly along a first path for pad 33 to engage the free end of vibratory reed 21. At approximately the same time reed 21 engages reed 21, the cam follower 34 engages cam leg 38. This causes the member 31 to be pivoted clockwise along a second path as the pedal 26 is further depressed to flick or pluck reed 21 and set reed 21 in vibration when pad 33 disengages reed 21 since pin 68 has lifted damper 63 from engagement with reed 21.

As pedal 26 is released, the member 31 is lowered along a third path past the end of freely vibrating reed 21 without engaging same. As the pedal 26 approaches its initial position, cam follower 34 engages the lower cam leg 39 to pivot member 31 back to its initial position along a fourth path. Also, as pedal 26 is released, the pin 68 is lowered to release damper 63 to arrest the vibration of reed 21. Therefore, the operator is able to selectively control the vibration time of reed 21 by simply holding pedal 26 depressed for the desired time.

While a specific embodiment of the invention has been disclosed, it is to be understood that full use of modifications, substitutions and equivalents may be made without departing from the scope of the inven-' tron.

What is claimed as invention is:

1. In a musical instrument including a plurality of individually tuned vibratory members of substantially equal length, said members being secured at one end and free at the other and extending in parallel relationship, a pivotally mounted elongated member associated with each vibratory member, a plucking device pivotally mounted on one end of each of said elongated members, each plucking device comprising a plucking plate and a cam follower mounted at opposite ends of said plucking device and on opposite sides of the pivot thereof, said plucking plate being so positioned that when said plucking device is positioned on its pivot parallel to said elongated member, said plucking plate will engage the associated vibratory member adjacent its free end when the elongated member is moved about its pivot, a U-shaped cam member fixedly mounted adjacent said cam follower with the cam follower received between the legs of said U-shaped member and with one of the legs of said U-shaped member so positioned as to engage said cam follower at substantially the time when said plucking plate engages said vibratory member, so that upon further movement of said elongated member about its pivot the plucking member will pivot about the point of engagement of the cam and follower and the plucking plate will be moved out of engagement with the vibratory member, the other leg of said U-shaped member being so positioned that, on return of said elongated member, said other leg will engage the cam follower after the plucking plate has returned past the end of the vibratory member and will restore the plucking member to a position parallel to the elongated member; stop means for arresting the pivotal movement of said elongated member in a position in which said cam follower engages said other leg of the U-shaped member, and resilient means normally holding said elongated member against said stop means.

2. A musical instrument as in claim 1 wherein said U- shaped member comprises two angle members with one leg of each such member overlapping one leg of the other, and wherein means are provided for clamping said angle members in adjusted overlapping position for varying the spacing between the legs of said U- shaped member.

3. A musical instrument as in claim 2 wherein a single U-shaped cam member received all the cam followers so that a single adjustment regulates the positions of all the plucking devices.

4. A musical instrument as in claim 2 wherein each vibratory member is provided with a damping element which is normally in engagement with said vibratory member, and wherein each elongated member is provided with a rod adapted to engage the corresponding damping member and move it out of such engagement when the plucking plate engages the vibratory member.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Certificate Patent No. 3,693,491 Patented September 26, 1972 Wade E. Creager Application having been made by Wade E. Creager, the inventor named in the patent above identified, and Wade E. Creager, the assignee, for the issuance of a certificate under the provisions of Title 35, Section 256, of the United States Code, adding the name of J uiio Guilietti as a joint inventor, and a showing and proof of facts satisfying the requirements of the said section having been submitted, it is this 9th day of July 197 4, certified that the name of the said Julio Guiiietti is hereby added to the said patent as a joint inventor With the said Wade E. Creager.

FRED W. SHERLING,

Associate Solicitor.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Certificate Patent No. 3,693,4:91 Patented September 26, 1972 Wade E. Creager Application having been made by Wade E. Creager, the inventor named in the patent above identified, and Wade E, Creager, the assignee, for the issuance of a certificate under the provisions of Title 35, Section 256, of the United States Code, adding the name of Julio Guilietti as a joint inventor, and a showing and proof of facts satisfying the requirements of the said section having been submitted, it is this 9th day of July 197 4:, certified that the name of the said Julio Guilietti is hereby added to the said patent as a joint inventor with the said Wade E. Creager.

FRED W. SHERLING,

Associate Solicitor. 

1. In a musical instrument including a plurality of individually tuned vibratory members of substantially equal length, said members being secured at one end and free at the other and extending in parallel relationship, a pivotally mounted elongated member associated with each vibratory member, a plucking device pivotally mounted on one end of each of said elongated members, each plucking device comprising a plucking plate and a cam follower mounted at opposite ends of said plucking device and on opposite sides of the pivot thereof, said plucking plate being so positioned that when said plucking device is positioned on its pivot parallel to said elongated member, said plucking plate will engage the associated vibratory member adjacent its free end when the elongated member is moved about its pivot, a U-shaped cam member fixedly mounted adjacent said cam follower with the cam follower received between the legs of said U-shaped memBer and with one of the legs of said U-shaped member so positioned as to engage said cam follower at substantially the time when said plucking plate engages said vibratory member, so that upon further movement of said elongated member about its pivot the plucking member will pivot about the point of engagement of the cam and follower and the plucking plate will be moved out of engagement with the vibratory member, the other leg of said Ushaped member being so positioned that, on return of said elongated member, said other leg will engage the cam follower after the plucking plate has returned past the end of the vibratory member and will restore the plucking member to a position parallel to the elongated member; stop means for arresting the pivotal movement of said elongated member in a position in which said cam follower engages said other leg of the U-shaped member, and resilient means normally holding said elongated member against said stop means.
 2. A musical instrument as in claim 1 wherein said U-shaped member comprises two angle members with one leg of each such member overlapping one leg of the other, and wherein means are provided for clamping said angle members in adjusted overlapping position for varying the spacing between the legs of said U-shaped member.
 3. A musical instrument as in claim 2 wherein a single U-shaped cam member received all the cam followers so that a single adjustment regulates the positions of all the plucking devices.
 4. A musical instrument as in claim 2 wherein each vibratory member is provided with a damping element which is normally in engagement with said vibratory member, and wherein each elongated member is provided with a rod adapted to engage the corresponding damping member and move it out of such engagement when the plucking plate engages the vibratory member. 